Something stirs under the Sun
Article Abstract:
The discovery of sunspots in 1611 and the first measurement of their intense magnetic fields by George Ellery Hale in 1908 failed to justify the existence of cool concentrated magnetic patches on the sun. With the development of helioseismic tomography, fluid motions below the sun's visible surface can be examined. T.L. Duvall Jr. and his colleagues, by looking at solar vibration on the sun's active region, spotted a downward flow that travelled to a depth of 2,000 kms. under a sunspot. Helioseismic tomography is a useful tool in understanding the sun and its effects on the climate.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1996
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Long-lived giant cells detected at the surface of the Sun
Article Abstract:
Research suggests that giant convective cells are found at the sun's surface. Calculations show that long-lived velocity cells cover 29% of the sun's radius and may be involved in the geophysical process leading to sunspots. Their uneven distribution may be affected by differential solar rotation. Previous attempts to detect the giant cells have failed due to Doppler shift effects.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1998
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A subsurface flow of material from the Sun's equator to its poles
Article Abstract:
Geological research using helioseismic tomography shows that the longitude-averaged subsurface flow in the outer 4% of the sun flows as quickly as that at the sun's surface. The geometric analysis of the sun's meridional circulation and its magnetic cycle characteristics is discussed. The travel times of surface separation are shown.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1997
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